The fictional amusement park "Ruby Pier" where Eddie works seems to draw many parallels to the real life amusement park "Luna Park" located in Coney Island. These parallels include...

*Both parks are named after people close to the original owner
Luna Park for owner's sister Luna
Ruby Pier for owner's wife Ruby (one of the people Eddie meets in heaven)
*Both parks had fires that lead to the loss of the original ownership
Ruby Park's fire leads to the selling of the park
Because of the expensive costs, Luna Park is let go by the original owner(s) (not sold away)
*Both parks had/have very grand entrances
seem to be described (by the book and in pictures of Luna Park) as very similar entrances by the large scale and grand arches/domes.

> The fictional amusement park "Ruby Pier" where
> Eddie works seems to draw many parallels to the real life
> amusement park "Luna Park" located in Coney
> Island. These parallels include...

Thanks for the info, Paul! From your reply, I searched Google for pix of the 'famed Luna Park/Ruby Pier' entrance.

I learned that several "Luna Parks" opened after the success of the Coney Island operation. Others were in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Australia. The link is to the Australian version; the image is of the NY site.